#black metal inspired photography | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

vanfleeter · 2 years ago

Text

Black Smoke: Chapter 1 - Look At Me

Pairings: Jake x reader Warnings: Smut (minors, please stay away), swearing, a little bit of fluff, unprotected sex, fingering, oral sex, boudoir photography, (let me know if I missed anything). Author's Note: I saw someone wondering about photographer!jake so I thought I'd try to write one myself. I'm still learning how to smut so bare with me. 1923 may have inspired the ending of this fic sooo I might continue this.. Summary: When you accompany your friend to a photoshoot, you capture Jake's attention and he becomes enamored of you.

Black Smoke Masterlist

Sliding out of the car and closing the door behind you, you look over at your friend, Kylie, who simply smiles at you. She convinced you to come with her to a photoshoot she booked for her business. She’s always been nervous being in front of the camera so of course, like the good friend you are, you went with her to be her hype person.

“You finally get to meet Jake.” She beams. “He’s an amazing photographer.”

Jacob Kiszka. Owner of Black Smoke Photography. He’s most prevalent in outdoor photography, but he offered to shoot her business photos indoors in a studio loft that he owns in the city of Nashville.

Stepping into the studio, you’re in awe of how bright it is with the natural light coming in through the warehouse windows. The total opposite of the usual photos that he takes. For the majority of his photos, they’re dark and moody so finding the studio space full of light and warmth is a complete one-eighty degree turn.

Upon hearing your entrance to the studio, Jake peers over the ledge of the balcony that hangs above the door. His hands grip the railing, the rings on his fingers clinking against the metal. He smiles. “Hey Ky.” He says. “Give me just a couple minutes and I’ll be down.”

“Sure thing Jake!”

Coming down a spiral staircase, Jake stands before the two of you dressed in a white, linen button down shirt with only a few bottom buttons holding it closed at the bottom of his abdomen and a pair of khaki pants cropped at his ankles. Cognac colored loafers adorn his feet. His many rings decorate his fingers while a couple necklaces hang around his neck. His hair hangs down in loose waves stopping at his shoulders.

A bright smile spreads across his face as he moves across the room to you two. “Good to see you again Ky.” He says as they embrace in a hug.

“You too, Jake.” She says. “I want to introduce you to my friend, (Y/N).” She adds when they pull apart. “(Y/N), this is Jake.”

“Pleasure to meet you.” He says, extending a hand. The skin of his hand feels rough yet warm against yours and he has a firm but delicate grip.

“You as well,” You say. “I’ve checked out your work. It’s all really good.”

He smiles and retreats his hand. “Thank you.”

“I love how bright it is here.” Kylie says as she looks around the studio. “So different from your normal style.”

“I took a look at the theme, or aesthetic, of your business and it looks very bright and airy so I thought keeping with the theme would make it easier and more comfortable for you.” Jake explains as he follows her through the studio space.

You follow a short distance behind him. You couldn’t help but watch how his biceps flex underneath the fabric of his shirt sleeves. Kylie catches you staring and you immediately look away feeling the slight warmth of your cheeks as you blush. She shoots you a smirk.

“Shall we get started then?” She says as she sets her things down by the table that’s littered with Jake’s equipment.

Jake nods his head and makes his way to the table. He picks up one of the many camera bodies and attaches a lens to it. He turns back towards Kylie and directs her on the stool. “Don’t fully sit on the stool, kind of lean against it with your legs crossed at your ankles.”

“Like this?” Kylie says as she follows his directions.

“Perfect.” Jake says as he snaps a few candid shots as she positions herself against the stool. “Now cross your arms over your chest and give your best serious face.”

During shots and new poses, you’d make silly faces behind Jake to keep Kylie comfortable and confident and bring her out of her shell. When it comes down to the serious poses, you stayed over by the monitor that showed the shots Jake was taking. Each one popped up on the screen until one of you came up. A side profile shot of you as you look at the monitor. Looking over at Jake, you catch him shooting you a smile before he turns back to Kylie. You feel a slight blush on your cheeks again as you turn back to look at the monitor.

After a few more shots, Jake lowers his camera. “How about we take a break?” He says.

“Good, I’m starving anyways.” Kylie says making Jake scoff.

“When are you not?” He says.

Kylie retrieves her purse. “I’m gonna go out and get food. Do you want anything?” Both you and Jake shake your heads. “Okay, I’ll be back.”

“Do you want me to come along?” You ask.

Kylie shakes her head. She glances over at Jake who has gone back to messing with his camera and not paying attention to the two of you. She wags her eyebrows at you. You roll your eyes making her snicker. She pulls out her car keys and heads for the exit leaving you alone with Jake in the studio.

As Jake continues to mess with his camera, adjusting the settings and cleaning off the lens, you walk over to the window and peer outside at the cityscape of Nashville. The sun is beginning to set, casting a golden glow on everything it touches. Including you. Jake takes notice of you by the window. The golden hue basking warmly on your face and brightening your eyes. He lifts his camera up to his face and points it at you. He snaps a few shots capturing you in your own little world.

He clicks his tongue like he’s calling a cat. You turn your head with your brows furrowed and he quickly snaps a few more photos.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting some candids.” He says.

“I am not your client today.” You say folding your arms over your chest. “I’m only here as moral support for Kylie.”

Jake shrugs his shoulders. “Free session on the house.” He shoots you a wink and lowers his camera. You lower your head as you smile and bite down on your bottom lip. “You’re a natural.”

You roll your eyes and look back out of the window. “No, I’m not.”

“I wouldn’t argue with someone who owns a camera and has an eye for this stuff.” He says.

“Oh, cocky much?” You say folding your arms over your chest. “Kylie never mentioned you having such a big ego.”

Jake scoffs. “I do not have a big ego.” He says. “An ego, sure. A big one? Not by a long shot. I just have an eye for seeing naturals.” He walks over to you and reaches his hand out to your face to tuck a strand behind his ear. “And I have an eye for finding beautiful girls.”

You giggle and shake your head. “Big ego and a flirt.” You say. “Do you do this with all of your clients?”

“Oh so you’re my client now?” He inquires. “I thought you were only Kylie’s moral support?”

“I am not your client.” You say as you lean against the window.

“So it wouldn’t be wrong to kiss you since you’re not my client?” He says stepping up in front of you. “I may have been taking photos of Kylie but I’ve been looking at you most of the time.” He swipes his thumb across your bottom lip. “This past hour has been pure torture not knowing how soft these lips must feel.” He lifts his eyes to yours. “Is it okay if I kiss you?”

You look between both of his eyes. Now that you’ve really looked into them you can see that they’re a russet shade of brown. They’re gentle when looking at you. And if eyes could smile, his sure are.

You simply nod your head. Gently he caresses your face in the palm of his hand as he leans down to kiss you. Feeling his lips press to yours you could feel the butterflies erupt inside your stomach. Slowly he pulls away. You open your eyes to find him staring at you. A smile spreads across his face.

“I was right. They are soft.” He says.

A soft giggle escapes you making him chuckle. Stepping away from you he sets his camera on the table. He reaches for your hand and pulls it up to his lips where he presses a soft kiss upon your skin. He smiles when he sees the goosebumps rise along your hand and up your forearm.

Softly and slowly he leaves a trail of kisses up your arm before stopping at your shoulder. He glances up at you with his eyes asking for permission to continue. You simply nod your head and he presses his lips to your neck and trails up to the back of your head. A light gasp slips out and he smiles against the side of your head.

He pulls away slightly and moves back to your lips to kiss you. He drops your hand and moves his hand to cup the back of your neck. He leans in between your legs and presses against you. You can feel how hard he is already. The feeling ignites a spark within your core and the heat builds.

“Is this okay?” He asks as he slips his hand underneath the cotton fabric of your shirt. No words came from your mouth so you nod your head once again. “Uh uh,” He hums. “I need words.” He says stopping the movements of his hands.

“Y… Yes..” You force out. Your own hands cling to the waistband of his pants pulling him as close as you possibly can.

He grabs the ends of your shirt and pulls it off and over your head and drops it to the floor by your feet. You grab his shirt and unbutton the last few buttons of his shirt and slide it off his shoulders and down his arms. He shakes it off his wrists and lets it fall to the floor. He goes to reach for you but pauses.

You raise your eyebrows. “Are you okay?” You ask.

He folds his arms across his chest as he looks you up and down. He rubs his chin as he thinks.

“What’s on your mind, photo boy?” You say.

His eyebrows raise and he looks at you. “Photo boy?”

“I’ll think of something else eventually.”

Jake smiles before turning in his feet and walking over to the table full of his equipment. “Have you ever done boudoir before?”

You shake your head. “I’m hardly ever in front of the camera to begin with.”

“Do you know what it is?”

“Basically sexy photos.”

Jake nods his shoulders. “Pretty much.” He says as he grabs a film camera. “Would you be comfortable doing it?”

“Well.. I..”

“You don’t have to,” Jake says, shrugging his shoulders. “It’s just a fun, little idea.”

“I could try it..” You say. “But Kylie..”

“Knowing Kylie she probably went to some sit down restaurant, ordered herself a nice big juicy steak and some wine. She does it all the time.” Jake says as he walks back over to you. “Though abandoning her friend with someone she’s hardly met is not like her.”

“Ehh,” You shrug your shoulders. “It’s not the first time.”

Jake laughs. “Well I guess we know different versions of Kylie then..” You crack a smile. “So..” He adjusted the dials on the camera. “Shall we?”

“I don’t really know what I’m doing.” You say as you push off the window.

“Don’t worry, I’ll guide you.”

Jake brings you over to the other side of the room where a couch rests against one wall and a coffee table sits in front of it.

“Lay down on the couch on your back and just relax.”

“Okay..”

As you walk over to the couch and begin to lay down, he stops you. “Wait..” He sets the camera down on the table and approaches you. “If you’re gonna keep your jeans on, we’re gonna make it look sexy–er.”

You giggle at his save. He unbuttons your jeans and pulls them slightly down just enough that they’re still on your hips but showing a little of your underwear. Black lace is what you chose for today. It even matches your bra.

“Well..” Jake clears his throat. He backs away and retrieves his camera. “Now lay down and relax.” You do as you’re told and you lay down on the couch. You shift around a little to make yourself comfortable amongst the red velvety cushions. “Comfortable?” He asks. You nod your head. “Good. Take your arms and kind of drape them over your head. Think of Rose from Titanic.”

You hum in understanding. “Jake, I want you to draw me like one of your French girls…” You recite the line and change out Jack for Jake. “But you know.. Photographing me..”

Jake smiles as he lifts the camera up to his eyes. “French girls don’t compare to you, love.” He says as he presses his index finger down on the button, snapping a photo. “I take it you like Titanic?”

“I love it.” You say, not daring to move just yet. “What do you think of it?”

“It’s okay..” Jake shrugs his shoulders. “Don’t move..”

He climbs onto the couch, straddling your waist. “Lift your chin so you look just slightly behind you.” You follow his direction. “Just like that, perfect.” He snaps another photo.

You can still feel how hard he is when he applies slight pressure to your waist as he continues to straddle your body. He finally climbs off of you and moves away from the couch.

“Feel comfortable enough to take your pants off?” He asks.

You nod your head and slip them off. His jaw nearly falls to the ground when he sees just how wet you’ve become.

“Fuck..” He gasps. He lowers the camera. “I’m so screwed..”

You giggle. “It’s your fault.”

“I uh, I–well..” He clears his throat and shakes his head. “Okay umm.. Uh..”

“Do you want to continue?” You ask, propping yourself up on your elbows.

Jake opens his mouth to say something but nothing comes out before he closes it. He picks up the camera again and holds it up to his face. The pose you were in with your legs crossed in front of you while your elbows held you up nearly made him want to put the camera down and fuck you right there.

“Lay your head back..” He says. You do and he snaps another photo. “Take your bra off.” He says, sounding more demanding. “I-If you want to.” He quickly adds.

You could tell you were making him nervous all while turning him on. Not once did you anticipate this ever happening. You barely knew the guy and yet you were nearly naked on a couch inside of his studio while he took photos of you all while hard as a rock inside of his pants. This man wants to fuck you. He’s just bursting at the seams.

Obliging to his order you unclasp your bra and toss it to the floor.

“Good,” He says. “Now lay on your stomach, one arm hanging off the couch.” You follow his instructions. “Look at me. Perfect.” He bends his knees to come down to a better angle and snaps the photo.

Setting the camera on the table, he kneels in front of the couch. “You’re so beautiful.” He tilts your head back to kiss you. “Turn back over.”

You do as he says and roll back over onto your backside. His tongue flicks out between his lips. He cups his left hand around your right breast as he leans down to suck on your left breast. Goosebumps once again cover your skin. A moan falls from your mouth as your head falls against the cushion of the couch.

You slide your hand off the couch and to his body. Slipping your hand underneath the hem of his linen pants you palm his cock eliciting a groan from him. He pulls his lips off of your nipple and looks up at you.

He pulls your hand out his pants and holds it up above your head. “No.. It’s all about you sweetheart.” He says.

“Jakey..” You whimper.

“Jakey?” He says. “No one’s ever called me that before.”

You sit up and grab his face in your hands. “Stop talking and fuck me.”

Almost immediately he pulls you off the couch and swings you onto his waist. He carries her upstairs to the loft.

“I wasn’t expecting this to be up here.” You say as he lays you onto a bed.

“There’s a lot you won’t be expecting.”

He grabs your jeans and pulls them the rest of the way down your legs and tosses them to the floor. “Black really compliments you.” He says before discarding his own pants. He licks his lips as he stares at your underwear. It’s already soaked with your juices. Nudging your legs further apart, he reaches over to grab the fabric of your underwear and drags them down your hips and your legs. He presses the fabric to his nose and inhales.

“Smells good?” You ask.

He nods his head. “Mmhmm.” He hums, making you laugh. He tosses your underwear to the floor and leans over top of you.

“You’re such a pretty girl.” He says as he moves down to kiss you. “My pretty girl.”

“What am I?” You say. “A dog?”

He laughs into the crook of your neck. “I’m nervous.”

“You’re nervous?”

He lifts his head. “No one has ever made me feel the way you make you feel right now.”

You giggle and tangle your fingers in his hair. “Just relax.” You tell him. “And breathe. Do what your body tells you to do.” You brush his hair out of his face and tuck it behind his ear. “What is your body telling you?”

“I want to touch you..”

You guide your hand down his arm and to his hand that rests on your hip. “Then touch me.” You move his hand from your hip and rests it in between your legs. You feel him ghost his fingertips along your center before using his thumb to rub circles into your clit.

“Does that feel good?” He asks.

You nod your head, your hand gripping tightly to his arm. He inserts his index and middle fingers inside of you. Your mouth falls open as a moan tumbles out.

“Oh…” You gasp.

“You like that?” He says as he slowly pumps them in and out.

“Y-Yes..” You stutter.

Just like he did earlier, he cups your breast with his other hand as he sucks on the other. His tongue laps around your nipple before sucking on it again. He never loses the rhythm of his fingers still pumping in and out of you.

“You’re so warm and slick against my fingers.” He says when pulling away from your breast. “But I want to feel you on my tongue.”

Moving further down the bed he removes his fingers from inside you. You whimper, missing the feel of his fingers. You watch him as he brings them to his mouth and licks them clean. His eyes roll and he groans.

Getting down on his stomach, he doesn’t waste any time as he brings his mouth down to your center. He drags his tongue in a slow lick against your folds.

“Fuck.. Jake..” He hears you moan.

He does it again and curves his tongue to dip in between your inner folds. Your hands fly to his hair and grip lightly to his loose waves. He inserts his fingers alongside his tongue. He’s pulling double duty and you love it. He knows you love it.

“Jake..” You moan. “Jake, I’m–”

He hums against you in response as he keeps working you closer to your climax. He curls his fingers inside of you. He feels your walls clench. “Cum for me..” He says before diving back in.

Slowly the fire in your core burned hotter and hotter. “There it is love.” He says. Like licking an ice cream cone he laps up all of your juices as they spill out from within you. Your thighs are clenched around his head, his free hand digging deeper into your outer thigh as he licks you clean and helps you ride out your orgasm.

Once you have relaxed, he leans back on the bed to admire you. Your chest rapidly rises and falls as you catch your breath. When you look into his eyes, they’re no longer the soft and gentle eyes you saw earlier. Now they’re darker, full of lust and hunger. He swipes the back of his hand across his mouth before climbing backwards off the bed.

“Don’t move..” He orders before running back down the spiral staircase. He comes back a minute later with a different digital camera. Resting it on the bed, he grabs hold of your leg and pulls you down the bed and laying your legs around his hips. He grabs the camera.

“Cup your breasts,” He says. “But turn your head to your left, keep your eyes focused straight ahead of you.”

Follow his direction. He watches your hands as they wrap around the soft lumps on your chest. With your head turned and your vision solely focused on a photo hanging on the wall, you can hear the click on the camera.

“Beautiful.” He sighs.

“No one will see these?” You ask.

He shakes his head. “Only for my eyes.” He says. He licks his lip and lowers the camera. “I want to try something.”

He climbs back off the bed and walks over to the other side of the room. He retrieves a tripod that rests against the railing of the loft and brings it over to the bed. Bringing it back over to the bed, he sets it up off to the side of the bed and connects the camera to it.

“What do you have in mind?” You ask turning over onto your side to watch him while he works to put his idea together.

“Something I’ve never done before.” He says. He adjusts the settings on the camera and looks through the eyepiece to make sure it looks exactly what he’s envisioned in his head. He straightens up and rests his hands on his hips. “Lay down on your back.” He says. You do as he says and he walks back over to the bed.

He climbs back onto the bed and nudges your legs apart with his fingers before slipping off his boxers..

“Are you filming a sex tape?”

Jake lets out a boisterous laugh and shakes his head. “No, not a sex tape.” He says. “Have you ever seen in movies how the angle of the camera captures two lovers in bed, the girl on the bottom, the guy on the top–classic sex pose?” You nod your head. “He has her one hip propped up on his waist, his hand resting on her thigh,” He explains as he moves you two into said position. “He’s leaning over her as she looks up at him. She’s got the look in her eyes of pure adoration, kind of like how you have it right now.”

“And you want that photo?”

“It would be a classic.” He says.

A smile cracks on your face. “Then let’s do it.”

“But I want to make it look natural.” He says. “I want us to be in the moment.”

You can feel his length rub against you. “Then what are you waiting for?” You say.

Readjusting himself, he guides his cock to your folds and slowly slides inside. Both of you moan in content as you relax into each other.

“You feel so much better wrapped around my cock.” He says. He slightly wiggles his hips before pulling out slightly and pushing back inside. He fits inside of you just perfectly. As if you two were made for each other. “This feel alright?” He asks.

“Yes.”

“Good.”

You can tell that he’s becoming more confident by his fluid movements. He has one hand holding up your leg on his waist and driving in deeper.

“Jake..” You moan. You link your arms underneath his and dig your fingers into the skin of his back. “Fuck..”

“You’re taking me so well..” He says. He lays an open palm on your lower abdomen. He can feel his cock inside of you which only turns him on more. “I fill you so nicely.”

“Mmmm..” You hum, your eyes fluttering closed. You feel him twitch inside of you, his hands fly to your sides and hold you tighter as he continues thrusting in and of you.

“Babe, I’m getting close.” He says.

Your eyes open to look up at him. His head is thrown back, his eyes screwed shut. “Babe?” You say.

His movements pause and he lowers his head. “What?”

“You called me ‘babe’?”

“Oh I-”

You smile. “I like it.”

A smile tugs at his lips. “Yeah?” He leans back down and kisses you. “You’re my babe?”

“Don’t jump too far ahead.” You say. “I said I liked being called ‘babe’.”

He chuckles as he begins moving again. “I like calling you that.” He says.

His thrusts were getting sloppy as he continued on. You can feel the burn again in your core.

“Jake..”

“Yeah baby, I know..”

Both of you hit your climax. You can feel him spill inside you. The warmth of his cum mixing with the warm feeling in your core only made you feel more good. Your back arches pushing your bodies closer together. You both ride it out together as he slows down his thrusting.

Being so distracted by your own orgasm, you were unaware of the camera snapping a photo. Jake’s face is buried in the crook of your neck as he sucks on your skin.

Once you both come down from your climax, he pulls out of you and lays out on the bed beside you. You roll over to lay over his chest. He wraps his arm around your body and pulls the covers over both of you.

“Can I take one more picture?” He asks, eliciting a giggle from you.

“You just can’t stop, can you?”

“You’re just so beautiful.” He says.

You go to sit up to let him get out of the bed but he pulls you back down and shakes his head. “I thought you-”

“With my eyes.” He says. “Where it’ll be permanently.”

You could hear sadness in his voice as he spoke. As if he’ll never see you again after today.

“Jake..” You sit back up. “Are you okay?”

He inhales. “I had fun today,” He says. “With everything, including this…”

“But..” You prompt him to continue going.

“I have to leave..” He says. “I have this opportunity to photograph wildlife in Africa and it’s a great opportunity.”

“Sounds like fun too.” You say smiling down at him. “Just don’t get eaten by lions.”

He scoffs, a smile spreading across his face.

“Why do I get the feeling you don’t want to go?” You say leaning on your elbow.

Jake inhales deeply before exhaling. “It’s going to sound crazy..”

“Nothing is too crazy. Tell me.”

“Being with you today, I don’t ever want to let you go.” He says. “Sex with you was great and it wasn’t rushed. I felt–connected to you.”

“Well all things considered..”

Jake chuckles. “Aside from that literal aspect, I mean..” He sighs. “I know we literally just met today but I felt..something. I want to be with you. I don’t want to leave you.”

You smile. “I’ll still be here when you get back. I ain’t going anywhere.”

Jake pushes himself up into a sitting position. “Come with me.” He says.

“C-Come with… Me?”

Jake nods his head. “There’s something about you. Something that I want to keep with me.”

“Jake, I… Africa is… I mean… You really want me to come with you?”

“If you don’t, I will…” A voice by the stairs comes.

Both you and Jake look over to see Kylie standing by the stairs. A smirk plays on her face as a blush creeps across yours.

“You two definitely had fun while I was gone.”

You hide your face in the crook of Jake’s neck making him laugh.

To Be Continued...

#jake kiszka #jake kiszka fanfic #jake kiska fic #jake smut #jake kiszka smut #greta van fleet #greta van fleet fic #smut #fluff #photographer!jake

351 notes · View notes

fuckyeslilkim · 1 year ago

Text

Lil Kim's Squat Pose Is Iconic. Its Photographer Discusses it for the First Time

In a rare interview, Michael Lavine discussed the day he shot Lil Kim’s Hard Core cover, the booklet, and that feisty, nearly 30-year-old poster we just can’t get enough of.

Even though Michael Lavine has photographed OutKast, Ghostface Killah, JAY-Z, Missy Elliott, Foxy Brown and many others, he didn’t start out capturing larger-than-life rap acts. Like multiple moments throughout his career, he just fell into the next phase of artistry, which was deifying a generation of Black storytellers.

Lavine’s interest in photography goes way back. He led his high school’s yearbook committee as the head photographer. Soon after, at Washington’s Evergreen State College, he studied traditional street photography in the style of Robert Frank and Garry Winogrand. While in Washington, he befriended the group responsible for the record label that became Sub Pop, and documented a then-emerging sound that, to this day, continues to inspire chart toppers. He wasn’t interested in being married to any particular genre or group though, because boxing yourself in isn’t the move. “I just never felt comfortable kind of being pigeonholed in anything to my own detriment. It's not good for business to do that,” he said. “You're supposed to kind of dive in, not pull away. But that's just how I was wired. I wanted to do my own thing.”

After fostering the trust of music industry greats (“I started working for Rick Rubin. He was one of my first clients and he hired me to shoot a bunch of his Death American acts because he was starting to do metal at that time,” Lavine recalled) and becoming a Black Book highlight, he fell into shooting some of the biggest rappers on the scene. His knowledge of capturing Black talent helped. “I was very good at skin color and doing warm skin tones and lighting people,” he said. “For some reason, I think there was this problem with white people who didn’t understand how to light Black people, which was just ridiculous.”

In short, he came, he saw, he snapped. Legacies were cemented in the process, most notably with an image of one of the greatest female rappers that has become one of hip-hop’s most beloved and recreated photos — Lil Kim’s iconic squat seen ‘round the world.

Below, the retired photographer gave Okayplayer a rare interview where, for the first time, he discussed the day he shot Lil Kim’s Hard Core cover, the booklet, and that feisty, nearly 30-year-old poster we just can’t get enough of.

This interview, which took place over multiple conversations, has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

When did you first meet Lil Kim?

The date was 7/30/96. The anniversary just passed.

What was your first impression of her?

My impression overall was she was not like she is, as in the present. She was very quiet and under the thumb of Big Un. Remember Big Un?

Are you talking about Lance “Un” Rivera?

Yeah. He was there. He was the man in charge of her and was kind of in control of the shoot. Kim didn't say a word. I don't think I spoke to her once about anything, but we had a nice rapport in front of the camera. She was great and we made a lot of pictures together, but I felt like there was this circus going on around us and it was just me and her. You get this intimate bond with your subject a lot of times. She's in her lingerie and rolling around on a bed. So, I was trying to be my normal, respectable self, and being professional and making the images with her in tandem.

I would direct her like, "Let's try this. How about coming over here? What if we lean this way?" There were a lot of sets. We had rented a brownstone in Manhattan probably. It was a couple floors. It might have been two floors. So there was a bedroom, a little balcony, a fireplace, and those big doors.

I interviewed Kim last year and she told me she just kind of dropped into the squat pose naturally.

It was very spontaneous. When you're doing photo shoots, at least when I was working, it was an organic process and you let things happen. It's like a creative flow. Whenever you have a creative director there holding out a [composition] like, "Here, do it like this," it just was always bad and kind of nothing. It was like the safest way to get whatever it is that they had in their minds. But to make a great photograph you have to let things happen. You just have to go with it.

There was no layout for her to do that pose. It just was natural. Part of it, I spent a lot of time low angle, meaning I was always kind of lying on the floor, crouching down myself. So, it's possible that one of the reasons she did it was because I was probably sitting on the floor looking up at her because that's kind of how I do. My style was based on the hero, meaning my job was to make people look like heroes with iconic style.

My style was based on making people look cool and giving them lots of options. So, we would take a lot of different kinds of photographs. I used different kinds of lighting. We moved very quickly. A lot of things happened and it was very much an exciting experience. Somebody had a set prop person there bringing flowers. For the cover shot, we had all those flowers in front of the fire, and the bear skin rug we brought that in. It was a normal hip-hop shoot. I was intimidated. It was a very hard day. Everybody was being kind of tough and intimidating, and nobody would talk to me.

Were you scared?

I was never scared, but they all had guns. It's not that I was scared..scared is not the right word. It's more like I felt kind of out of place a little bit. I didn't even speak with Kim. I was dealing with Un mostly, and Un had a lot of ideas. So we were trying to do all the things. I was getting coverage for him. He wanted to have her hold the honey bear. Remember, there's a shot of her holding a honey bear on the black satin sheets? We had a lot of props. I had a props guy. His name was Jerry Schwartz. He was very good and we had brought a bunch of stuff.

So, for example, I remember Puffy came in for a shot and I did one shot with Puffy and Kim together. And Puffy, I worked with him many times. He didn't even say hello to me.

I was just like, “Really? Do you have to be that way? You're so cool you don't want to embarrass yourself talking to the photographer, actually acknowledging him?”

I never really felt at home around Puffy. I think at that time, because I don't think he's like this anymore, but at that time he was — and I know this happened to several other people that I've witnessed throughout their careers — they're really striving. It's very hard at the beginning and they'll push, push, push. They're just about their thing and they don't care about you. So, he was yelling at everybody all the time.

On set that day?

Not that day. Other days.

Oh, just in general?

Just in general. Barking orders. But that day he came in briefly and we did the shot and then he left. There's one shot, I don't know if you've seen it, of them together on a wall. I don't even know why he was there. I can't remember. He had something to do with the record, I guess.

"There was no layout for her to do that pose. It just was natural," Lavine said of the image.

The image came out as the poster, “Lil Kim Coming Soon.” When you're there that day, you have no idea what images are going to stand out. Zero. There's just no way anyone could know. It isn't until there's time to contemplate the session when you edit it and you start to live with the images. And the graphic designer who, I can't remember who it was. Maybe you can find that out.

Maybe.

Let's see if there's a name on here. I don't know. Big Beat records? I don't know who that would've been. Atlantic maybe? I think it was Atlantic Records, no?

Lil Kim was [signed to] Atlantic.

It was Atlantic? Maybe it was, I don't know who it was. Liz Barrett? There were a bunch of people in the Atlantic art department at the time. I could probably look at the invoice.

Do you still have the invoice?

I don't know. Let's see if I do. '96...

If you do, you're the best records keeper of all time.

Yeah, there's Kim and Puffy right there. I have the whole job here. Ed and Carl were my assistants. The location was 24 West 10th Street. That's where we shot it. Here's something for you. Ready for this?

Yes.

So, these are notes from my conversation with the manager. "Little Kim. Female. She's the other woman, somersaults in bedroom, not raunchy. Doorway of bedroom, satin sheets. Blouse, undone. Honey in hair, on bed and on phone. Down pants. Unbuttoning pants. No whips and chains. Classy, sexy, lush, lustful. Candles in the background. Fruits and chocolates." There you go.

The notes Lavine was given prior to the Lil Kim shoot.

So, those were the notes that you were given before the shoot?

Yep. Those were the notes I was given before the shoot.

"Not raunchy" really stands out because I think you conveyed that.

"Not raunchy" — peekaboo, sexy shit.

Oh, man. Well, you did it. You accomplished the goal. And that actually flows really well into my next question, which was what do you believe they were trying to convey with the shoot?

It was funny that they hired me because I was known for not exploiting women in my photos. That was one of the reasons I didn't ever shoot women because back in the day, you were expected to shoot women with clothes off. I refused to do that and I never did it. I think this crouching picture was the raunchiest picture that I had ever done. Actually, that's not true. I did one once. But it was not my normal style, shall I say.

But also, it's an empowering image. I just generally felt uncomfortable sexualizing women throughout my career. That shoot was uncomfortable for me because I had to do that, and I think she was a little unclear as to what she was doing herself. I have no idea. I didn't talk to her. I'm not sure what she was thinking. Years later, I talked to her because we were both well complaining about this image being bootlegged.

She did mention that during our interview. That people were making t-shirts and making their own memorabilia.

It's completely illegal what they're doing, and it's got to be the most bootlegged image of mine. It's like whack-a-mole, you can't stop them. You send out your lawyers and then they just shut down and open with a different name. I could probably go out, spend some time and sue them all and she could, too. Who has time for that? If you have a lawyer and you have a lot of money, you could do that.

That sounds like a lot.

I mean, it's unfortunate. But she was talking about trying to do some merch of her own. The smart thing to do would be to get a deal with Merch Traffic or somebody that does merch, and then they would take care of trying to squash the illegal competition. But I thought that she was going to maybe have that happen this year, but I haven't heard from her.

But the image is just getting more and more famous. It's funny, you never know what kind of resonance an image is going to make and impress upon the culture at the time when you make it. It's rare that there's an instant classic. It's very hard to have that kind of impact these days just because of the nature of social media. Back then, there was a poster and that poster was the only poster. There was no other place to see it but the poster.

Now, it's everywhere.

That image really stands the test of time. Very few images stand the test of time like that image that I've worked on. It's one of my more recognizable images and I have a lot of them.

You do.

So, what can I say? It was a perfectly nice day. She was lovely. We had a nice rapport. The pictures came out great. I continued to work for many years after, and I'm retired now.

What made you jump into hip-hop photography?

Well, that's a funny question because I think my whole life, until recently, has been me falling into things that I wasn't planning on. I was driven to do photography so I was on that path. But if you would've told me my senior year, my fifth year of college, I was going to be shooting rock bands for a living for the rest of my life, I would've said, "Really?" I would've had no idea. But that fifth year [of college] I got a job to shoot a rock band and it just turned into —

The rest of your life?

It turned into the rest of my life. I never said, "I'm going to be a rock photographer." I never said that until I was one. Then, I had no plans on shooting hip-hop. It was an up-and-coming market at the time. I didn't know anything about it. I was friends with Kurt Cobain hanging out at rock shows, and really was unaware of a lot of hip-hop.

I did some hip-hop jobs early. I shot De La Soul, who I loved. I shot a few bands and hip-hop acts that were popular around that time. I got to know a lot of people in the business over time because I worked in it for so long. I was really close with Groovy Lou, who I loved as a stylist. June Ambrose. A lot of people.

But this was a defining moment. That shot, that poster when it came out, it made a lasting impact. It's still gaining speed. At that time, nobody knew who she was.

Did you know who she was?

I might've heard her name but not really. I just got hired on jobs. That's how I learned about people. I listened to the record before anybody else heard it. I got it first. But a lot of people were that way — I would learn about them on the job. That's how you learn because if I'm shooting 100 jobs a year, I don't have time to do anything but the job that's in front of me.

Did you listen to the album before the shoot?

Oh, I'm sure, of course. I don't remember the exact moment I listened to it but I always did. But that was part of the job, and we listened to it all day long during the shoot because that's what we did.

When did you realize that photo was really making waves?

Well, I think it happened over time. Obviously, the poster immediately was like, “OK, that's intense.”

Was it everywhere? Was it all over town?

It was everywhere. And when the poster came out it was powerful. It was a dramatic statement and it sent shock waves immediately. It was clearly influential at the time, I will say that. It was shocking and effective. It put her on the map.

Do you think it put her on the map more so than the cover?

Oh, yeah. The cover, who knows what the cover looks like? Nobody does.

#lil kim #lil' kim #rap #queen of rap #rapper #hip hop #queen bee #female rapper #female rap #hiphop #fashion #90s #squat

204 notes · View notes

x-heesy · 6 months ago

Text

stephanie inagaki 🇯🇵

For ages, humans have used myths and folklore to express human stories and create space for the unknown through fantastical and surreal lenses. My body of work is inspired by the fairytales and folklore of my Japanese heritage. Additionally, with the use of anthropomorphic creatures like foxes, crows, snakes, and black cats, the personal narrative is a means to connect with the world at large. Through the use of these ethereal protagonists, I explore the cyclical nature of life and death, the masks we wear for ourselves and others, and the ways love and loss inspire our own transformations.

metal torcher | wrangler of fabrics | charcoal pusher based in Los Angeles, CA

~Old World Amalgamation Architect of Miyu Decay~

#contemporaryart #art #artist #painting #artwork #abstractart #modernart #artgallery #arte #fineart #artoftheday #artcollector #instaart #artistsoninstagram #drawing #contemporarypainting #abstract #contemporaryartist #gallery #photography #sculpture #kunst #abstractpainting #design #interiordesign #oilpainting #illustration #acrylicpainting #digitalart #artlovers #surreal #surrealart #surrealism #surrealismartcommunity #popsurrealism #popsurrealist #popsurreal #surrealist #surrealista #surrealistic #lowbrowart #weirdart #lowbrowartist #surrealisme #surreal_art #surrealismo #surrealpainting #newcontemporary #lowbrowpopsurrealists

Part1 Part2 Part4 Part5

Sᴛᴏʟᴇ ᴛʜᴇ Mᴏᴏɴ ʙʏ Lᴀʀᴋ 🌙 🎧

40 notes · View notes

luperpla · 7 months ago

Text

MG Sazabi ver. Ka pictures

This one was my first really serious attempt to build and paint a model post-parenthood and honestly? A 5 month turnaround time (let's call it three months to build, two months to paint) for a fully painted build like this is *pretty fuckin good* for a no support parent who works full time on top of it.

So, the colors: The main orange is a custom mixed orange, and the lighter shade is simply GaiaNotes VO-14 Coral Orange. Preshade colors for both were mixed by adding in some brown. Any orange parts got pink primer to up the saturation and the results are sooooo nice IRL. The blue is actually a colorchanging paint, which is GaiaNotes polarized? prism? pearl? series, mint blue green over a black base.

The original idea for this kit that I had was to mimic bandai's gorgeous titanium finish by putting clear black over gold but I eventually moved on from that idea because the end result would have been too similar to my 2013 Sazabi so I thought and thought until I came up with a better idea...which landed in the from of a creamsicle inspired Sazabi. The final product landed a bit away from that idea but whatever, I'm really happy with how this thing looks. The metal aftermarket parts are icing on the cake, for an MG like this it felt appropriate to go all out and use them on it and I'm glad I did.

My lighting and photography is a bit all over the place on this one but eh, whatcha gonna do 'cept keep practicing.

Not sure if I'm going to tackle my MG SInanju ver Ka. next, or take on one of my PG Unicorns. Either way, my ass is taking a break from building/painting stuff for the next month or so so I can recharge my hobby batteries.

#gunpla #luperbuilds #gundam #char's counterattack #sazabi #mg #master grade

23 notes · View notes

invisiblequeen · 5 months ago

Text

Anyway, here are my two submissions for the @spacecadet-sims BC that i definitely have not had ready for days prior:

For Atticus: Viana Walton:

Name: Viana Walton Age: Young Adult Gender: Woman Pronouns: She/Her Sexuality: Bisexual Occupation: Vet Likes: Blue, White, Black, Orange, Comedy, Guitar, Horse Riding, Painting, Photography, Polished Fashion, Basics Fashion, Outdoorsy Fashion Dislikes: Red, Gray, Easy Listening Music, DJ Booth, Music, Fishing, Programming, Snowboarding, Media Production, Rocker Fashion, Boho Fashion Favorites: World Music, Spooky Music, Pop Music, Latin Music, spicy foods and most importantly, graham crackers. Traits: Early bird, Hyper, Foodie Aspiration: Dr. Doolittle Family/Important Friends/Pets?: Parents in Chestnut Ridge, Twin sister named Dyana(dee-anh-nah) in San Myshuno. Distant cousin in a sim named Eldon Ervin who visits sometimes. Short Bio: Simply put, Viana Walton is one with the animals. Happily stationed in Brindleton Bay with the top spot in the vet clinic, she spends her time walking with the stray cats and dogs around town, decorating and redecorating her home, and sometimes visiting her family in chestnut ridge to free-ride their horses. She hadn't really thought about a spouse for the future, since most of the guys her friend Supriya Delgato (townie) sets her up with are turned off by how animated she gets about her passions. But Dyana, her twin, got wind of this BC and encouraged her to enter. She's dubious, but Viana is willing to give it a shot. And if it doesn't work out, well, at least she has her occasional sneaky link Catarina Linx. 👀 Misc. Info: She loves denim. LOVES denim. Her mom is tomorangi and her dad is Chestnut-Ridgian, so she visits both places often. She thinks the lighthouse is haunted. And--sit down for this--Mayor Whiskers is her least favorite cat in the area.

For Imogen: Eldon Ervin

Name: Eldon Ervin Age: Young Adult Gender: Man Pronouns: He/Him Sexuality: Heterosexual Occupation: Composer Likes: Brown, Orange, Black, White, PIano, Pipe Organ, Singing, Writing, Preppy Fashion, Polished Fashion Dislikes: Island Music, METAL MUSIC, Pop Music, Yellow, Blue, Harp, Guitar, Cooking, Hipster Fashion, Rocker Fashion Favorites (music, food, etc): Classical Music, Singer-Songwriter Music, Spooky Music, Jazz Music, soup, soup, and more soup. Traits: Lyricist, Outgoing, Unappeasable Aspiration: Musical Genius Family/Important Friends/Pets?: Most of his family is in Glimmerbrook, he's friends with all the townie DJ's in Windenburg, and got on Judith Ward's good side ever since he composed music for her post-peak drama film a few years ago. No siblings, no pets, and if he wants to be around cute animals, he'll visit his distant cousin Viana in Brindleton Bay. Short Bio: You've heard of Mozart and Beethoven, but have you heard of Eldon Ervin? Well, if you watched Judith Ward's last big film, you'd know he was the driving force behind the movie's composition and theme song that catapulted him into stardom. An overachieving genius in every sense of the word, Eldon is looking to release the kind of legendary pieces his idols have in the past. He's noticed that the most heart-wrenching sonatas or concertos were inspired by love. So maybe this BC will bring him the muse he needs. Misc. Info: He likes sitting on benches near ponds and write poems in the rain. His parents are both spellcaster and somehow he came out with no magic at all. We don't talk about that. His favorite animal is a DUCK.

WHAT DO WE THINK?

#sims 4 #the sims 4 #sims4 #simblr #n0bodysims #ts4 #ts4 bachelorette challenge #sims 4 bachelorette challenge #sims bachelor challenge #ts4 bachelor challenge #sims 4 bachelor challenge #sims bachelorette challenge #scbth application

12 notes · View notes

dark-romantics · 2 years ago

Text

INTJ: empty elevators, old buildings and spirales staircases, puzzles, deep meaningful conversations, museums, alone time, any time between 12am-5am, sarcasm, earphones, science, big libraries, bookstores, the smell of books, rainy days, thunderstorms

INFP: Smiles directed at strangers, cuddles, vivid daydreams, sunlight streaming through windows, an autumn palette, messy buns, glasses that slide down your nose, half-written stories, sea-foam green, a large coffee mug filled with tea, constellations, window seats

ENFP: bulletin boards with inspiring quotes, humming along off-key beneath your breath, bare feet on hot sand, pinterest projects, improvised road trips, paint smeared on your hands and face, butterflies in your stomach, silly nicknames, sugar rush, compliments from strangers, good morning texts

INFJ: deeply meaningful conversations, contemporary art galleries, bookstores and libraries with high ceilings, writing and reading poetry, handwritten love letters, art-house films, psychology, stationery stores, the vastness of the universe, bottled messages, automatically reading others' souls

ESTJ: skyscrapers, railroads, a river that flows through a city, going underwater, iron bridges, old paper, vintage champagne, broken-down fountains, city limits, cathedrals, borderlines, Greek architecture, arches, windows, heavy wooden doors, locks, buildings overgrown with vines

ENFJ: the leaves as they change colors, comforting words in the middle of the night, swimming with dolphins, self compassion, dancing around the room with your friends at 3 AM, street photography, the way smiles are contagious, screaming at a concert, puns that are so bad you can't help but laugh, pranks, mirrors, a tight hug

ESFJ: sunflowers, your first kiss, cities during the daytime, standing art a crosswalk, art museums, running through sprinklers, dancing without music, bathing in sunshine, falling in love, streetlights, thick hair, smiling at a mirror, children's laughter, drawing words with sparklers, gold glitter, whispered secrets, flower crowns, flipping on a lightswitch

ISFP: curling up with a book by a fireplace, cozy blankets, charcoal drawings, hot chocolate, poetry, lens flares, cat fur, white sand, the night sky, original grimm fairy tales, ambiguity, acrylic paints, a crescent moon, photography, fingers flying over piano keys, liminal space, doorways, social activism, the line between thoughts and reality

ISTJ: finishing homework right away, instruction manuals, calm before the storm, hugs when you most need them, graphite streaks on your palms, polishing a sword, glass shards, brass knuckles, netting, methodical sketches, geometry, permanent marker, bold letters, metal-rimmed glasses, dark smoke, oxygen masks, cold showers, static, skylights

ISFJ: fresh baked cookies, light filtered through leaves, porch swings, disney movies, sketches in the margins of your notes, the sound of waves, oversized hoodies, holding hands, embroidery, down feathers, showing your bare back, seeing veins through pale skin, black and white photographs, a flute melody, touching a butterfly's wing, rocks in a stream

ESTP: bruises on knees, an adventurer through & through, adrenaline rush, a mischievous grin, spontaneous, party animal, likes to be center of attention, nurturing and selfless, fearless, spends 80% of their time online, big on physical touch, gets out of trouble very easily, flirty af

ISTP:

156 notes · View notes

thestylesindependent · 1 year ago

Text

Harry Styles’s longtime stylist, Harry Lambert, and his creative director, Molly Hawkins, have had a lot to do with crafting the pop star and actor into one of the era’s top fashion icons. When they joined Styles in launching a company called Pleasing a year and a half ago, they achieved something even more significant, although no flashbulbs were around to capture it. Pleasing’s debut collection, a line of $20 nail polishes inspired by Styles’s own affinity for colorful manicures, was one of the first nail polish to be nearly 100% biodegradable.

Traditional nail polish is made from plastic polymers that break into tiny fragments of microplastic, contributing to pollution. From the start, Hawkins and Lambert were committed to making a version that would naturally decompose. They spent two years finding a laboratory able to work with them on devising a biodegradable formula, and then, in November 2021, they flashed the logo for Pleasing on the wall of the arena outside one of Styles’s concerts in Glendale, Arizona. Days later, when the Pleasing website went live, its first four polish colors—in trendy shades like inky black and bubblegum pink and with quirky names like Granny’s Pink Pearls—sold quickly. Six subsequent collections have launched every few months since then and have seen hero items sell out rapidly as well, while lines have snaked around the block for holiday pop-ups in London, New York, and Los Angeles.

As Pleasing expands into new categories (such as serums, eye shadow, and apparel), Hawkins and Lambert are continuing to push to make products even more eco-friendly, including making brush bristles from castor beans, a renewable resource, rather than petroleum. “We’re incentivizing our partners to keep moving forward,” says Hawkins. “If they can commit to developing a product for us, we can commit to purchasing a [large] quantity of it.”

Still, what makes Pleasing’s products so covetable among fans is that they just look so good. Lambert and Hawkins led the design process for the brand’s signature glass nail polish bottles, which feature globe-shaped tops in metallic and marble colors. “To succeed, the packaging needs to be interesting and exciting,” says Lambert. “We want the products to be so gorgeous that they live on your shelf, not inside your drawer.” To promote each new collection, the duo taps emerging artists to create attractive, color-saturated photography and illustrations. William Waterworth shot Pleasing’s first-ever campaign, for example, while Marisol Muro created the bright, ’70s inspired artwork that accompanied the recent nature-inspired Shroom Bloom nail polish line. Styles himself isn’t intimately involved with product development and doesn’t promote the brand heavily on social media. That’s by design. “At this moment, there are a lot of celebrity brands on the market,” says Lambert. “Pleasing is part of Harry’s world, but we also don’t want to rely on him to be the only reason people buy this product. We want to actually solve problems.”

#harry styles #july 2023 #pleasing #molly Hawkins #harry lambert

54 notes · View notes

maepersonal · 8 months ago

Text

What up, I'm Mae, I'm 19, and I never fucking learned how to read

main blog: @lockyle-and-skull

*all likes and follows will appear to come from there, even if we interact here*

about me: name: Mae or Ames age: 19 pronouns: ae/aer, it/its, she/her queer?: aroace + agender :3 why am I like this™?: autism, ocpd, bpd, ocd, adhd, anxiety, depression, alexithymia, aphantasia, dyspraxia, sometimes nonverbal & semiverbal, pots, tic disorder, sometimes agere (9-13ish) MBTI: ISTP :) aesthetic: here! :D element: water (duh) hogwarts house: slytherin ;) (I actually hate hp but I'm proud of my house) favorite colors: blue, green, purple nationality: american (canadian + german parents) shit I like: kpop: Lunarsolar, Xdinary Heroes, Ateez, Yena, Bibi, others more casually music: hardcore punk, punk, hard rock, symphonic metal, alt rock, nu metal, power metal, glam rock, hyperpop, Elliot Lee, Andrew Polec, Meat Loaf, Sick Puppies, In This Moment, Black Market Kidney Surgeons, Anti Flag (fuck justin sane), Iggy Pop, Car Seat Headrest musicals: Sweeney Todd (1982), Newsies, Ride the Cyclone, Bat Out of Hell, The Lightning Thief, Bonnie & Clyde, everything Starkid (but especially Starship, Black Friday, and Trail to Oregon) movies: The Human Centipede II: Full Sequence, Velvet Goldmine, Star Wars prequels, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Narnia, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets tv shows: Lockwood and Co, Julie and the Phantoms, Haikyuu, The 100 games: Palworld, The Enchanted Cave 2, BATIM, YTTD, Children of Silentown, The Mortuary Assistant, Little Witch in the Woods, Until Dawn, The Quarry, SCP Foundation, Project Kat, definitely more stuff I'm forgetting other stuff: wet specimen taxidermy, punk diy, collecting weird shit, tornadoes, alchemy, statistics, photography, The Council <3, insects, being a non-theistic satanist (inspired by LaVeyan satanism), being punk, being an anarcho-communist tech support: op tag: #oh mae oh my pfp: Bronté Barbé as Katherine in Newsies UK header: MUU (ex-LUNARSOLAR) - Shooting Star MV not safe for littles tag: #nsfl - BLOCK IF NEEDED

let me know if you want anything tagged differently!!

FAQ:

why are u reblogging/interacting with therian/DID content? because I am very close with a system that has therians and non-human alters :)

what do you use this blog for? this blog is mostly for irl, kpop, bpd, other mental disorders, anarchy, aroace, agere, vents, and anything else I feel like doesn't fit on my main :)

no DNI, just don't be a dick.

#accidentally deleted it so here it is again ig #oh mae oh my

14 notes · View notes

toyastales · 4 months ago

Text

Gisele Bündchen for GQ Italy, 2007

33 notes · View notes

indescribeable · 8 days ago

Text

Mika, Scribes Version

WARNING: Mentions of SH Suicide and Rape they are not detailed at all but are mentioned.

So I have realized that I haven't actually made a post about this, I know a lot of wonderful people here on the Seduce Me Tumblr have their own incredible Oc's or their own version of Mika and I wanted to share mine. I honestly couldn't make up an oc for this game if I tried tbh Lmao I just love Mika so much and I have decided to give you all my information on her. I am also considering rewriting my light in the dark fic because I have more thoroughly planned out my version of Mika and the slight AU its in so we shall see if I actually manage that lmao.

Also if you guys have any questions about my version of Mika and the incubi or just any questions on her in general feel free to drop me an ask I would be happy to answer any questions and they can sfw/nsfw also feel free to ask for fics if you want I need inspiration tbh XD. Also I have realized I really like talking about my version of Mika.

Well I shall stop blabbering now and let you read about her I hope you enjoy!

General Appearance

Long black hair like so long she can sit on it lmao she also is constantly switching between bangs and no bangs has died it a few times but her hair is really hard to colour so she didn’t dye it very much, if she was to do it again in the future she would probably opt for peekaboo hair with money pieces in the same colour so like if she wanted to have some blonde going on she would have her natural black hair on top blonde underneath and then blonde money pieces in the front, green eyes obviously also girl has the most beautiful siren eyes like god damn, pasty as fuck lmao. Can't lie she has some pretty well defined abs too with all her training and such, she loves dance, art, photography and music and she has a wonderful singing voice.

Piercings

Belly button Piercing

Scaffold Piercing on her left ear but she doesn’t wear it as much although she has tonnes of different bars for it her favourite one is in the shape of an arrow with a heart in the middle like the heart was shot by Cupid’s arrow

Cuff Piercings on her right which again she doesn’t wear as much mainly because she was always hiding it from her dad so she just gets into the habit of not wearing them although when she does get more used to the fact that she can wear whatever the fuck she wants now she likes to have cuff earrings in that have connected chains if that makes sense lmao she may also get one of those fake metal elf ear thingys to go on with it because she thinks its cute

Is High key considering getting lip piercings like 2 rings on her lower lip near the corners of her mouth but is unsure.

Tattoos

Ok so this girl has ALOT of tattoos and had to spend ALOT of time and money covering them up when she was at home because of her father, most of them are on her lower arms, wrists and hands and alot of them cover up sh scars, she feels a very strong connection to her magic and nature so she has alot of symbols that coincide with that connection.

She also has loads of tattoos related to the moon like crescent moons everywhere.

On the back of her left hand she has a chain tattoo that wraps all the way around her wrist the goes up the back of her hand and then wraps around the base of her middle finger, that tattoo is surrounded by alot of those symbols i mentioned previously, she has a different small tattoo on each finger one is a heart, one is a crescent moon, one is an arrow, one is a yin and yang symbol and one is a star.

On her right hand she has a semi colon tattoo on her wrist, on the back of her hand she has a large crescent moon tattoo floating in clouds with stars around it (when i said this girl has alot of crescent moon tattoos I meant it lmao) and then on each finger she has a different type of flower tattooed on them. on the palms of both her hands she has more earth magic symbols.

She has considered blackout tattoos but ultimately decided against it.

On her back she has a large Japanese dragon tattoo and it covers her whole back (this one was easier to cover then the others as clothes just took care of that problem lmao). She really cares about her Japanese heritage and Mikas grandmother is also Korean so she's very into her Korean culture as well. The large dragon is coiled around on her back and its head is on her left shoulder. It is also surrounded by cherry blossom leaves and the only coloured tattoos on her body are the cherry blossoms.

She has a large snake tattoo on her right arm and on her left she has twisting vines with leaves.

On her right hip she has a tattoo of A katana specifically the one she can summon as a weapon with a rose curling around it and the flower itself resting next to the handle its not massive as it can easily be covered by high waisted pants and the top only slightly sticks out with low rise jeans but its still pretty sizeable (she also has ended up with slight ink poisoning a few times because girlie cannot stop and had to get alot of them done in groups because of limited free time)

She has a nine tailed fox tattooed on her left thigh (she didn’t know it at the time of getting this tattoo but it would become oven more significant later) And on her left calf she has a crow holding a ribbon in its mouth with 3 dates on one her grandmother's death date on her grandfather’s death date and the other one is the death date of her best friend from when they used to visit japan more frequently who also may be her first crush/ love but she's very confused about it.

She fully has a tattoo obsession it's partly because of the addiction of the feeling of getting tattoos partly because of the fact she wanted to cover her scars and partly because of the fact that it was something she could actually control even though she had to hide it

Extra Stuff

When she's at home she just throws on whatever makes her feel comfortable so lots of sweatpants and crop tops and if it's colder she will throw on a hoodie or jacket. When it gets to winter this girl WILL wear fluffy everything and she will be in heaven ALSO teddy bear bedding is a must. She also loves music she will listen to everything but she mainly listens to MAMAMOO.

Although she doesn’t wear her piercings very often she wears midi rings all the time like she has an obsession. When shes deep in though or when she gets really anxious she twists the rings on her fingers as a sort of nervous tick type deal

Unfortunately she has really bad depression and anxiety also slight ptsd from her father and also her ex boyfriend (Andrew im so sorry but making you and asshole is just really fun lmao) she also has an eating disorder due to the fact that with the way she was brought up she had an incredibly small amount of control and one of the few things she could control was what if and when she ate though it developed from that to her not eating until it hurt because she wanted that control but then she would eat to stop the pain and then would subsequently get angry at herself for giving in and then she would make herself bring it back up because of her own warped thought process on the whole thing. (my poor baby is not thriving)

Backstory

Ok so for the first 2-3 years of Mikas childhood David wasn’t actually the worst father but then when Harold wanted to interact with Mika David kinda lost it due to his weird twisted idea on “protecting” Mika though he just kinda let his fear take over and turn him into an asshole. Incredibly controlling does not give a shit about anything Mika wants at all. Took until she was around 4-5 years old for her dad to actually let her grandfather see her at which point Harold basically became her father not her grandfather. Due to her father being the huge dick he is and her mother basically being the equivalent of a wet towel she developed severe anxiety and depression and ptsd from the physical abuse. On multiple occasions the man who is supposed to be her father has broken limbs, her arm 3 times, each leg once and he also managed to break her nose at one point. Due to being so young and not being able to properly cope with or express her emotions she has self harmed since she was 7. Also due to the lack of control she developed the eating disorder i mentioned earlier in the post at the age of 10.

Throughout all this though she was grateful to have and be able to visit her grandparents. She learnt about magic when she was 7 and learned from her grandfather from that moment. When it came to her grandmother she taught Mika piano and about composing music, she also taught her about Korean culture, dishes, tradition and history while her grandfather taught her about the same but for Japan. She also took the taekwondo lessons her father enrolled her in and her grandfather secretly helped her attend dance lessons. Unfortunately Mika lost her grandmother to cancer when she was 12 which really REALLY damaged her especially because her grandmother was back at the mansion for the last few weeks of her life and Mika was right there holding her hand when she passed.

Because of the shit storm she was living through she had made attempts on her own life from the age of 13-18. One attempt ended with her in the hospital for a few weeks. Her father only visited her once and that was just to yell at her and her grandfather stayed with her basically everyday, it was also the first and only time that she had ever seen or heard her grandfather yell and what shocked her more was he was yelling at her father.

For a while when she was younger Mika, both her parents and grandparents would visit her grandfather's home town in japan which surprised Mika but the only reason her father let them go was because of the fact that he could see the rest of his family on his fathers side as they didn’t like Harold at all either and they did not approve of her grandmother. There she met one of her best friends, Mai.

Quick little bit of info on Mai trust me it's important. Mai’s father left her and her mother when she was only 3 and she has blamed herself for him leaving since then. She is also severely depressed and just not thriving.

Mai really confused Mika because she couldn’t tell if she had a crush on her or not or if she was sort of her first love. It's all very confusing in her brain. On Mika's birthday every year Mai would send her a happy birthday card or message and that eventually evolved into a birthday video when they got phones. Mika would stay up all night the day before her birthday as at 12am on the morning of her birthday Mai would send the birthday video to her. On her 15th birthday she received her message as usual bang on 12am but she felt something was off. She tried to reach Mai all day on her birthday but couldn’t get through until she got a call from Mais mother, she was crying and it took a while for her to finally be able to tell Mika that Mai had taken her own life and shortly after that she received another video message from Mai’s phone that her mother had sent for her. It was basically her last message and apology to Mika.

Mai and Mika had a small group of friends in Japan made up of 2 other girls and 2 boys. After finding out about Mai and because of a lot of stuff going on between her father and grandfather they only visited Japan once more after her death and through everything Mika was a mess. Out of the small group of friends one of the boys Haru was closest with Mika and Mai and Mai would often get really jealous of Haru because she thought he seemed really close with Mika and she knew that he liked her. He was a huge comfort to Mika after Mais death and he really helped her through some tough shit on that last trip. Haru was also Mikas first time they were both 16 (the age of consent in Japan is 16 not that im saying I condone it or that its acceptable because of that but I thought it was important to mention) and after they basically spilled their hearts out to each other about everything going on it just kind of happened, nothing else came of it and Mika wasn’t really romantically interested in him but it's just what they felt they both needed at that point.

After all that she started dating Andrew a few months after she got back from Japan. The first few weeks of her relationship he was wonderful but then everything went to shit. He mentally and physically abused her and he also raped her multiple times. Eventually she managed to end things with him and took it to court. Her father just thought she was being pathetic and that she was lying so he didn’t support her in any way. After everything she had already been through she decided to do everything she could to prove what he did so she even went through the incredibly invasive procedures at the hospital and eventually won her case and proved what Andrew had done. Luckily Andrew's father was very understanding and apologetic and did everything he could to make up for it though trauma is still trauma. Mikas' ptsd became more severe after that.

Other than support from her grandmother and grandfather she had Suzu and Naomi and both of their families though Mika kept alot to herself they were still really helpful and wonderful to her.

When it came to her grandfather meeting and bringing the boys to the human world she helped him bring them here and also met them on their first day in the human world though they forgot her until she mentioned it at dinner after they were bleeding out on her lobby floor.

And that's pretty much it I think 🤣 my poor baby is struggling and if anyone has anymore questions feel free to ask me 😁🤍

#seducemetheotome #seduce me the otome #seduce me the demon war #seduce me mika #altered version of mika #its fucking long im so sorry

2 notes · View notes

justforbooks · 9 months ago

Text

Brian Griffin, who has died aged 75, was one of the most original and influential British photographers of his generation. His images of Kate Bush, Donald Sutherland, Iggy Pop and Damien Hirst, and his album covers for Echo and the Bunnymen and Depeche Mode, are some of the most famous pictures of the 1980s.

For the cover of Depeche Mode’s 1982 LP, A Broken Frame, Griffin transposed Soviet social realism to a cornfield off the M11 in East Anglia, and the result was named by Life magazine as one of the greatest images of the decade. His virtuosity saw him declared photographer of the decade by the Guardian in 1989.

His work, which has been exhibited globally, is in the permanent collections of the National Portrait Gallery, the V&A, the Arts Council and the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

Griffin’s success capturing the glossy worlds of money and hairspray was rooted in something darker. He was forged in the Black Country, the industrial heartland of the West Midlands, and the influence of the factories, and the harsh light from the furnaces, suffused his early photography. He had a relentless work ethic and would do anything to succeed in a world far removed from that of his upbringing.

He was born in Birmingham, the only child of Edith (nee Moore) and James Griffin, who were both factory workers. The family lived in a two-up, two-down in Lye, where every street had a factory. Young Brian felt that “the whole world appeared to be partly made of metal. Everything you touched seemed to be iron and steel.” After passing the 11-plus exam he went to Halesowen technical school, then went to work at the age of 16.

In 1965 he was making conveyors for readymix concrete plants when the factory foreman suggested he join Hagley camera club, where he picked up a camera for the first time. He then got a job at British Steel and was working as a nuclear pipework engineering estimator in 1969 when everything changed. Devastated by the end of a love affair, he decided to leave his old life behind.

Griffin’s only means of escape was photography, so he put some of his camera club images into a Boots photo album and applied to art colleges. He was accepted into Manchester Art School at the age of 21, where he studied with Martin Parr and Daniel Meadows.

In the college library he devoured books on art, and after graduating and moving to London, he spent weeks at the National Film theatre immersing himself in German and French cinema. Inspired, he began to look for work.

In 1972 he went to see the art director of Management Today magazine. Griffin’s talent was plain to see, and he was immediately put to work. He shot a shadowy monochromatic image of rush hour on London Bridge from the back of a cab, calling it his Metropolis image, after Fritz Lang’s expressionist masterpiece. Prior to this, Griffin had doubted his ability, but now he knew that he could make it as a photographer, he unleashed his artistry.

Through his images for the magazine, Griffin introduced surrealism to the boardroom. His industrial background meant that he clicked with the businessmen who were his subjects, and the captains of industry played ball. He wittily subverted the corporate power of the men he photographed by introducing discordant juxtapositions, building tension. He wound intrigue throughout his work, stopping the viewer in their tracks, making them take time over his images, and his work began to be recognised.

Ambitious, he wanted to expand his repertoire and earn more money. He understood that the style he had honed in the business world would translate into the pop sphere, where post-punk bands were eschewing bondage trousers in favour of being suited and booted. He went to Stiff Records and photographed Elvis Costello and the Attractions and Ian Dury and the Blockheads.

Recognition followed and commissions flooded in. He worked for Esquire, Rolling Stone, the Face, Time Out, the Sunday Times and the Observer, in advertising for British Airways, BMW and Levi Jeans, and photographed Brian May in a series for Sony Walkman in 1980.

That year he moved to Rotherhithe, a working-class area of south London on the banks of the Thames. He loved the place, recognised its people and was to stay there all his life. He set up a studio from where he continued to push the boundaries of the conventional. Using his background in engineering, allied to his innate creativity, he built lighting machines and used knicker elastic and ping-pong balls to create startling special effects in an analogue age.

Some experiments led to happy accidents: his highly regarded 1984 image of Siouxsie Sioux, intended as a double exposure, was in fact a triple: “It was wrong, but so right,” he said.

In the days before social media, aside from magazines, the main showcase for a photographer’s work was on walls, be they in galleries or town centres. Griffin’s first solo London exhibition was at Contrast Gallery in 1981, and the posters of his work for bands such as Spandau Ballet and Ultravox were plastered across the land. His family finally saw his work and were proud: they had always wanted more for Brian than factory life.

As well as portraiture, he produced numerous documentary projects. In 1986 he photographed construction workers at the Broadgate development in the City of London. At the time he was still reeling from the death of his father from lung cancer, due to a life inhaling cast-iron dust. The project allowed Griffin to pay homage to his father and to all working people: he monumentalised the men “like knights lying in state in a cathedral with their swords”.

In 1989 he left still photography to make television commercials, music videos and short films, but returned a decade later. In 2003 he produced a project to aid Birmingham’s bid to become the European City of Culture. He worked promoting the 2012 London Olympics and in 2015 his photo-essay, Himmelstrasse, movingly documented the railway tracks in Poland that transported people to Nazi death camps. He continued to work up until the end of his life, with new projects still in the pipeline.

He had more than 20 monographs published in his lifetime and won numerous awards. In 2013 the Royal Photographic Society awarded him their Centenary Medal, and the following year he received an honorary doctorate from Birmingham City University for his lifetime contribution to his home city.

Griffin’s 1980 marriage to the photographer Frances Newman ended in divorce. Their daughter, Layla, died in 2020; he is survived by their son, Danz, and three grandchildren.

🔔Brian James Griffin, photographer, born 13 April 1948; died 27 January 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

#just for books #brian griffin #in memoriam

10 notes · View notes